Light Headed

Another perfect day awaited us on Wednesday.  Just right for taking a tour of the Heceta Head Lighthouse.  We were unable to tour this one three years ago when we were in the area since it was being refurbished.

As you can see from the sign, the walk to the lighthouse is all uphill.

 This is a view of the beach from about a third of the way up the trail.  Local high school kids were out in the surf, even though the water was cold.

Heceta Head Lighthouse is still working today.   When it opened in 1894, it took a lighthouse keeper, two assistants and their 3 families to keep it running. Inspectors could drop in at any time (even at 2 or 3 AM) to see if everything was up to snuff.  There were two large houses, a garden, a place for the horses, storage buildings and even a chicken coop.  They had to be self sufficient, which meant they had to hunt elk and catch salmon to meet their protein needs.

 This was taken at the bottom, looking up.  I'm not afraid of climbing the stairs, but I sure don't like heights or looking down.  I wasn't the only one holding on tight to the railing!

 The one thing interesting about this lighthouse is that the Fresnel lens was made in England, not France.  It is still in use today, although it is now completely automated.  The guide told us that if the electricity goes off, an alarm sounds.  Then, if it is daylight, someone must go up and close the curtains around the lens.  Otherwise, it acts like a magnifying glass and could start a fire in the trees behind it!

Sandy and Jerry stopped to let me take their picture as they made their descent.

 It was a glorious view from here!  On the right hand corner, you can see the sand, and our truck is parked in the lot behind the beach.

 The main lighthouse keeper's house was torn down and sold for $10 years ago, but they managed to save the assistants' house, which is a shared residence.  It is now a B & B, with prices ranging from $130 during the winter for a night's stay to $315 during the summer.

This is a view from the yard by the house.  There used to be a railing all along the trail between the houses and the lighthouse so they could find their way when it was foggy.   I don't think I would have liked trying to go to work when the storms rolled in, bringing fog, rain and wind.  Ugh!  Might be worse than a Phoenix commute during rush hour.  Or maybe not..

 You can also hear Sandy say, "It's COLD!"

Not too bad after the second wave rolled over our toes.  We've dipped our tootsies into all different waters.

A look back at the lighthouse from another viewpoint along Highway 101.  Great memories!